


Homecoming

by valathe



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Multi, Polyamorous relationship, a tiny bit of hurt/comfort at the end if you squint, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-19 15:44:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15513129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valathe/pseuds/valathe
Summary: After one and a half years apart, Fareeha finally returns to the two women she loves more than anything else in the world.





	Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SapphicStar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphicStar/gifts).



> the thing i made for SapphicStar as part of the gift exchange on the Queen Pharah discord.  
> the editing process for this was mostly fueled by caffeine and procrastination-induced self-loathing, so there might be a few errors hiding away. I hope you still enjoy reading this regardless.  
> song(s) of the day are [fragile](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh8QtCO-wQ4) by god is an astronaut and [don't stay here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1knh-_SYrfQ) by frames

When she was younger, Fareeha had never understood the people who had immediately jumped up from their seats and started rummaging for their carry-on luggage as soon as the plane had safely touched down. Now, she could relate to the feeling of wanting to get off the plane as soon as possible, though probably for different reasons. She sent an apologetic glance to her left (the third or fourth since the pilot announced their imminent landing) when her nervously bobbing knee bumped into her neighbor’s, but he barely seemed to notice. After what seemed like an eternity they finally arrived at the gate, the door was opened and the passengers were trickling out oh so slowly.

Normally she’d take her time traversing the airport, stretching her legs after a long flight, making sure she’s going the right way (especially in an airport as confusing as Heathrow); but today was not any day. Today, she finally returned home. What was supposed to be a two-month reconnaissance-gathering mission in Libya had turned into a year-and-a-half infiltration of a terrorist cell with no direct communication to the outside world. But all that was in the past. Today she had what she hoped to be the surprise of a lifetime. Winston had taken pity on her and expedited the debriefing process, allowing her to do all of it from their Cairo Watchpoint without having to return to Gibraltar. He even arranged for all of her gear to be transported so she could go directly to London. All so she could arrive a day early.

Now that she was so close to home her nervous energy seemed to multiply exponentially. The ten minutes she had to wait at the baggage carousel seemed like an eternity, and she had to make a conscious effort not to break into a dead sprint for the exit. She didn’t even bother putting on a jacket when she left the airport building, lazily falling snowflakes notwithstanding. After making a bee-line to the next cab (and chasing away some suit-clad type going for the same one with her most venomous stare) she mumbled the destination to the omnic driver and fished out her phone, typing a quick message.

16:03 R0cketQueen _< I can’t wait to see you again>_  
16:03 R0cketQueen _< soon <3<3<3>_  
16:04 gayestbadger _< reading my mind! tmrw cant come soon enough!>_  
16:04 R0cketQueen _< what are you guys up to right now?>_  
16:05 gayestbadger _< nothing much really just doing some cleaning and em’s just gone to the grocers>_  
16:05 gayestbadger < _lazy saturday otherwise >_  
16:05 gayestbadger _< speaking of i should get back to it. cant wait for tmrw <3>_  
16:06 gayestbadger _< love you xoxo>_  
16:06 R0cketQueen _< love you too>_

That put a little damper on her mood. She had really hoped to catch both of them unawares at the same time. Alas, there was nothing to be done about it now. She already recognized some of the streets and sights the cab whizzed by; and suddenly the driver made the turn into Oxford Road South and she realized: _‘I’m home_ **. I’m home!** ’

She bade the cabbie to stop before entering the cul-de-sac and left him with a generous tip before he drove off. Even though it was close to the highway it was remarkably quiet, and she paused for a moment to take it all in. The serenity of a neighborhood slowly being covered in snow; some windows already being lit against the evening twilight.

_‘One and a half years.’_

Only when a shiver travelled down her spine did she realize she was standing in the snow without a jacket, and she quickly picked up her suitcase and carry-on and made her way down the road, not stopping until she had to dig around in her pockets for her keys. They still fit.

She gently shut the door behind her and put down her luggage, but it seemed like Lena had heard her regardless.

“Didya forget something, Em? That was awfully qui-“

She froze mid-sentence when she turned the corner and saw who was standing in the hallway. Fareeha almost laughed at her dumbstruck expression but settled instead for a drawled-out “Surprise!” instead.

And even though she had imagined this exact moment innumerable times during their separation, had gone through every different possible scenario in exquisite detail, nothing could compare to the real thing. Nothing could have prepared her for the raw emotion welling up in her chest when Lena positively _slammed_ into her, arms around her back and squeezing as hard as she could. As if to make sure she wasn’t imagining it. And Fareeha returned the embrace with equal intensity; wanting to say thousand different things but no words would leave her lips.

After what seemed like an eternity they separated just enough to look at each other, and Lena’s messy, tear-stained face was somehow even more beautiful than she remembered it.

“You almost gave me a heart attack, you jerk!” Lena accused with a watery smile, cutting off any potential reply of Fareeha’s with a deep, almost desperate kiss. As if she was still not quite sure any of this was real. Fareeha thought little of it, only focused on the way those soft lips pressed against hers so insistently.

It felt like heaven. It felt like gingerly sinking into hot water after a hard day. It felt like slowly waking up surrounded by love and warmth. It felt like…

…like _homecoming_.

Fareeha didn’t realize she’d been crying until after they’d parted again and Lena had wiped away the wetness on her cheeks.

“God, I’ve missed you so much.” she whispered, and while words could never properly express the emotions raging through her heart right then, Lena understood. Because she felt just the same way.

The brunette’s only reply was another warm embrace before they finally came apart, and Lena realized something was off about Fareeha’s appearance.

“Don’t tell me you came from the airport dressed like this, it’s below freezing outside!” she remarked with a reproving frown.

Fareeha only ducked her head with a sheepish grin and chose not to deny the obvious. “There was no time to put on a jacket. I had to get home.”

And just like that, any reprimand Lena had ready to go melted away, like the snowflakes in Fareeha’s hair.

“Let’s get you warmed up, then.” Lena said with a soft smile and disappeared through the doorway. Fareeha quickly pulled off her sneakers and followed her into the kitchen where Lena was already puttering around, filling the kettle with water and fishing a mug out of the cupboard.

“Koshary?” Lena asked and, at Fareeha’s nod, pulled out the old, banged-up tin containing their tea. And so, the Egyptian settled into her usual place at the kitchen table and just watched. Half a teaspoon-full of Ceylon tea into the tea-egg, and then just a dash more – she’d always liked her tea a bit stronger. The still-boiling water was swiftly poured into the mug and a leaf was plucked from the stems of mint growing in a flowerpot on the windowsill. After just three minutes the tea-egg was removed and a splash of milk added, along with two teaspoons of sugar, and…

“Et voilà!” Lena exclaimed cheerfully, turning around with the steaming mug in her hands. Fareeha was sure that the smile fixed on her lips looked perfectly stupid, but she didn’t care.

“Thank you.” she said, taking the mug from Lena’s hands after crossing the room and setting it down on the counter. Before the smaller woman could complain about her not appreciating a flawless mug of tea, she had cupped Lena’s face with both hands and dove in for a kiss, languid and slow and far sweeter than the beverage sitting beside them, long forgotten.

When they finally parted it was with a sigh, and Lena lightly thumped her head against Fareeha’s sternum. “I’ll never get anything done now that you’re here.” she mumbled into the fabric of Fareeha’s sweater.

“Oh? Were you planning something?” the Egyptian asked, kissing the crown of Lena’s head.

“I promised Em I’d get dinner started while she’s out getting stuff for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow has come early, eh?” Fareeha chuckled.

Lena only snorted in reply and looked her straight in the eyes.

“You know she’s going to have a small meltdown when she realizes you’ve come early, right?” she said after a few moments of silence.

Fareeha laughed and gently shook her head. “Let me guess, she planned to cook an inordinately lavish dinner that we can live off for an entire week?”

“Pretty much.” The brunette replied, reluctantly extracting herself from their embrace and turning around to begin fixing herself a cup of tea. “She wanted to make koshari, ful, luqmet…honestly I don’t remember everything.”

“Luqmet?” Fareeha asked with a raised eyebrow. “But you both hate that, and I quote, ‘cloyingly sweet garbage pastry’?”

“More for you, then.” came the snarky reply, “Besides, you’re the one who has to burn all those calories again.”

Fareeha fondly shook her head again, and finally took a sip from her tea. She didn’t know exactly what Lena did differently, but no one else managed to prepare Koshary just that way; herself included. She sighed in contentment and leaned back against the counter, idly watching Lena putting the finishing touches to her own cup.

“When do you think Emmy will be back?” she asked after a while, and Lena merely shrugged.

“Soon, I think. She’s been gone a while now.” There was a sudden spark of mischief in her eyes, and she leaned in conspiratorially. “Wanna surprise her just like you did me?”

 

* * *

 

Not for the first time Fareeha noted with wry amusement how even the most basic sounds could have such strong effects on one’s body. Just the simple scrape of a key against the lock had her heart rate picking up, and the silly smile on her face was completely involuntary.

“Lena, I’m home!” Emily called from the doorway, stomping her feet a few times; probably to get residual snow off her shoes. The brunette quickly left the kitchen, throwing a sly wink in her direction before rushing to take the bags full of groceries off Emily’s hands.

“How’s the weather outside, luv?” Lena asked and Fareeha could vividly imagine the roll of brown eyes, just a few shades lighter than Lena’s. The snowfall had picked up quite a bit since she herself had made it home.

“Smartass.” was the mumbled reply followed by rustling, presumably as the bags changed hands. “Uh, did someone come over?”

Fareeha had to restrain herself from audibly facepalming. They’d put her luggage away but hadn’t thought about her shoes. And, of course, Emily noticed. To her credit, though, Lena switched tracks remarkably quickly.

“Yeah, a _friend_ is waiting for you in the living room.”

Well. Subtlety had never been her strongest suit. Regardless, Emily didn’t inquire further and set out for the living room, leading her through the kitchen. Right past Fareeha’s hiding spot, in the corner behind the china cabinet. Just the brief glimpse of her profile made the Egyptian go a little weak in the knees, but she had an objective. As quietly as she could she extricated herself from the nook and walked up behind Emily, who stood in quiet befuddlement on the threshold to the living room. Fareeha saw her draw in a breath, presumably to ask what kind of joke Lena was trying to play on her, when Fareeha slipped her hands around her head and covered her eyes.

“Guess who.” she whispered into her ear.

Emily’s reaction shouldn’t have surprised Fareeha, given that she’d been used to the redhead’s overexcited knee-jerk reactions; and yet…

And yet it almost ended in disaster when Emily whirled around and, eyes wide as saucers, seemed to completely short-circuit. Because her next action was to _physically jump_ onto Fareeha and wrap both her arms and legs around the Egyptian; accompanied by a squeal that decided to become a screech midway through. And had Fareeha not been a career soldier, one who prided herself on her core body strength and never skipping leg day, they probably would have toppled over.

They very nearly did, still, and it took some intense whirling of arms and broadening of her stance on Fareeha’s part to keep them upright. Emily seemed blithely oblivious to their spatial predicament and somehow managed to openly sob into the crook of Fareeha’s neck while still talking a mile a minute.

“Ohmygodyou’rebackwhydidn’tyoutellusI’vemissedyou _somuch_ …”

Fareeha didn’t interject, didn’t try to shush her or calm her down; she merely wrapped her arms around Emily’s back and squeezed as hard as she could, letting the by now meaningless babble wash over her. She hadn’t heard that voice in one and a half years, and every syllable was like a drop of rain after a drought.

Finally, she was reunited with the two women she loved more than anything else in the world.

Finally, she was well and truly _home_.

Emily eventually managed to calm down and had the decency to look properly abashed after she’d climbed down from her girlfriend, sheepishly tucking a lock of red hair behind her ear. The broad smile on her face refused to die, though, and after a few moments she rose to the tips of her toes and caught Fareeha’s lips in a kiss so soft and gentle it almost made her weep.

Only after they broke apart once more did she realize her eyes were suspiciously moist, but Fareeha paid it no heed. She was ensconced in a cocoon of warmth and safety and love, and nothing could ruin that.

“When did you come back?” Emily asked, still catching her breath, fingers tracing the contours of Fareeha’s tattoo.

“About half an hour ago.” was the Egyptian’s reply. “I actually wanted to catch you both at the same time, but you just _had_ to go shopping right then.”

Emily rolled her eyes before burying her head in the depths of Fareeha’s sweater, circling her arms around her waist once more.

“I’ll have you know that I went out, in this piss-poor weather, for _your_ sake.” she grumbled but tightened her hold at the same time, showing no sign of letting go.

“I know,” Fareeha replied, “Lena told me what you had planned.”

At this Emily whipped her head around to shoot a reproachful look at the brunette, only to let out an affronted grunt. “Are…are you _filming_ us?!”

Fareeha looked over as well and, sure enough, there stood Lena with her phone pointed at them, making a ‘go on’-motion with her free hand.

“Now that she knows she’s being observed, it will be interesting to see how this changes this apex predator’s behavior.” Lena intoned, trying to sound like a nature documentary voice-over. Emily merely groaned and pressed her forehead against Fareeha’s chest.

“When did I become such a pushover.” she grumbled, receiving a kiss on the crown of her head from Fareeha.

“Love makes us do weird things, sweetheart.” The Egyptian murmured.

“Like returning a day early and ruining my surprise, you mean.” Emily retorted, looking up and stealing another quick kiss.

“I’m sorry,” Fareeha said in a tone that clearly implied she was nothing of the sort, “I just couldn’t bear being apart from you for even one more day.”

Emily looked her dead in the eyes and flatly replied: “Just as well, that means you can help with the cooking.”

Lena snorted so hard she almost dropped her phone, and even Emily herself couldn’t keep her face straight. Fareeha barely noticed, though, since talking about cooking made her aware of an important fact.

“Let’s get started, then, because I’m absolutely famished.”

This time Emily did roll her eyes and tweaked the Egyptian’s nose. “Let me guess, it was so _unbearable_ that you didn’t bother to eat all day?”

When Fareeha’s only reaction was to sheepishly scratch the back of her neck while not meeting her eyes, Emily just gently shook her head before pulling her face down for another quick peck, and sauntering away to the bags containing the groceries.

“Well, at least one thing definitely hasn’t changed over the past 575 days.” she mumbled while she pulled out bags of beans, lentils, and all the other things she’d bought.

Fareeha chose not to comment on how sappy it was to count the days they were separated, instead reveling in the warm glow it caused in her chest. She promptly joined Emily at the counter and took stock of all the things she’d gotten at the store.

“Well, ful is out since the beans need to soak overnight. We could make some koshari, though. Would that work for you?”

“It’s your welcome-home-dinner, you goof.” Emily replied with a smile and set about storing away all the ingredients they wouldn’t be needing.

Fareeha meanwhile tossed a bag of macaroni into Lena’s hands, eyes narrowed in playful suspicion. “Can I trust you with the pasta? We don’t need a repeat of my birthday two years ago.”

The brunette looked properly affronted, almost managing to hide her grin. “You have _one_ small accident…” she muttered while getting out a pot.

“You almost burned down the kitchen, love.” Emily deadpanned. “With spaghetti.”

“Oh, bite me.” Lena fired back, sticking out her tongue.

“I did that night, if I remember correctly.” Fareeha smoothly interjected, and Emily almost dropped the onions when she tried to cover up her snort.

“Yes, always ganging up on the little one, you two.” Lena pouted, adding “Don’t you _dare_!” when she saw Fareeha grow the biggest shit-eating grin.

The Egyptian just _winked_ , and Lena quickly turned around again to hide her fierce blush. She did manage to cook the macaroni without incident, though, while Emily and Fareeha took care of the rest. Soaking lentils, browning onions, chopping tomatoes, frying rice; and after an hour they’d prepared a more than generous amount of koshari.

“We’ll be eating leftovers _days_.” Lena remarked, watching as Fareeha spooned their food onto three plates; first the rice, then the macaroni, then the lentils, and the tomato sauce to top it all off.

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” The Egyptian remarked with a smirk, “I still eat more than the two of you combined.”

“When you do eat. Eventually.” Emily replied, and Fareeha had to concede the point.

“Anyway,” she said loudly, setting down her plate at the table, “dinner is served.”

Apparently both Lena and Emily had been just as hungry as Fareeha, since most of their dinner was spent in silence while they tucked in with gusto, all them going back for seconds.

“I’ve missed your cooking, ‘reeha.” Lena groaned after she’d cleared her plate and leaned back in her chair, patting her stomach. “Not looking forward to the extra gym time, though.”

“I don’t know what you’re complaining about.” Emily said before gathering the last of her rice onto her spoon.

“Just because you could eat a whole horse and not gain a single pound doesn’t mean that you have to be smug about it, Em.” Lena replied, leaning over and lightly brushing her fingers over Emily’s side. The redhead squealed and jerked away as far as she could while still remaining on her chair; promptly dropping her spoon and sending rice flying all over the table. To Fareeha’s amazement Emily completely ignored the mess and immediately launched a counterattack; the ensuing tickle fight being made only _slightly_ awkward by the fact that both of them refused to actually get up.

Fareeha merely smiled and watched, soaking up every peal of laughter like a dry sponge. She’d worried so much, in the past few weeks especially, if and how she would fit back into their unconventional relationship; to see now that it was almost as if she’d only been gone a week evoked a feeling she couldn’t put into words, even if she spoke every language in the world.

So lost was she in her thoughts that she only noticed the laughter had stopped when a hand gently touched her on the shoulder.

“Don’t go wandering off when you’ve only just gotten home.” Emily murmured, and just when Fareeha had thought she couldn’t feel any more love and affection for them, she was proven wrong.

“Right, you two,” Lena interjected, slapping the table with both hands, “you can be mushy somewhere else while I take care of this mess.”, making a sweeping gesture over the table and all the dirty dishes piled up in the sink.

Fareeha tried to object, of course, but Lena would have none of it. “Shoo, I said. You know like doing the dishes.”

‘Since when.’ sat on the tip of Fareeha’s tongue, but she bit it down. Instead, she pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and went for the living room, quietly appreciating the clear offer of spending some alone time with Emily. The redhead followed shortly after she’d let herself fall onto the middle of the couch, and surprised Fareeha yet again by joining her on the couch, stopping just short of climbing right on top of her. As it was she snuggled as closely into Fareeha’s side as she could, draping her right arm across her chest and laying her hand on her cheek.

“I’ve missed you so much.” Emily murmured, looking straight into her eyes, and the open vulnerability she saw made her quietly curse Winston for taking her away from these two amazing women for so long.

Instead of replying or giving voice to her thoughts she ducked her head for a kiss, slow and tender and so full of longing it threatened to take her breath away. She didn’t know how long their kiss lasted, but it could have gone on forever for all she cared. But when they broke apart and she saw the moisture pooling in Emily’s eyes, a vice closed around her heart and it tightened, tightened, tightened; until she felt almost physical pain.

“Don’t leave again for so long, please.”

Oh, how desperately Fareeha wanted to say _yes, of course, anything for you_ , but she couldn’t. She didn’t know what their future might hold; couldn’t promise that a similar opportunity wouldn’t present itself again in the very next mission. Her infiltration and dismantling of the terrorist cell had been harrowing, but she didn’t even want to think about how much pain and suffering those people could’ve caused if left undisturbed. She couldn’t live with herself if she ever passed up such a chance to make the world a better place.

So she couldn’t promise that. She’d done a lot of things she regretted; but breaking a promise to Emily or Lena would never be added to that list, not in a million years.

Emily seemed to sense her inner turmoil and pulled her out of her whirling thoughts.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-…I know you…you…” she trailed off, seemingly to gather her thoughts. “I know you do _so much good_ out there and I’m so incredibly proud of you, and I’m just being so _selfish_ to ask something like that-“

Fareeha quickly cut her off. “No, Emily, please don’t say that, don’t _ever_ say that you’re selfish. Every day I had to fight the urge to message Winston to get me the hell out of there because I missed the two of you so goddamn much; because I wanted nothing more than to hear your voices, see your smiles, to see what I’m fighting for. So if you say you’re selfish, then I am _just_ as selfish, if not more. I only have better impulse control than you.”

She almost regretted tacking on the joke at the end, but it hit its mark. Emily snorted and bonelessly collapsed into her, resting her head in the crook of Fareeha’s neck.

“Thanks.” she murmured, “I needed to hear that, I think.”

“Don’t ask me to repeat it, I’d probably botch the delivery.” was Fareeha’s glib reply while she wrapped both her arms around Emily, gracing her with a quick peck onto her hair when redhead shook in silent laughter.

“In all seriousness, though,” she continued, “it’s completely normal to feel like that. Honestly, I’d be worried if you _didn’t_ , so don’t be too harsh with yourself, okay?”

Emily merely nodded in reply and they both fell quiet for a few minutes, the only sounds in their little bubble of serenity being the rattling of silverware and low humming filtering in from the kitchen. After a while Fareeha asked about what she’d missed in her absence, and Emily gladly caught her up with the current goings-on of their neighborhood. Not much had changed, apparently, since the biggest news seemed to be the family that had moved into the other half of their semi-detached. Emily kept talking about what a ‘sweet little pumpkin’ the infant son of theirs was, and Fareeha had the wary feeling that this was a topic Lena had avoided discussing many times with “Let’s wait with this until ‘reeha’s back.”

Her suspicion was more or less confirmed when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lena abruptly freeze upon entering the living room and hearing what Emily was talking about. The brunette quickly recovered, though, and approached the couch with a bottle of white wine and three glasses, effectively ending their current conversation. Something Fareeha was quietly grateful for.

“Sorry for interrupting, luvs,” she said as she plopped down on the couch on Fareeha’s left side, “but I thought the occasion warranted breaking out the _good_ stuff.”

She quickly filled the glasses and handed them out, and they fell into an easy lull, intermittently taking sips while simply enjoying their physical closeness.

“I wish we had a fireplace right now.” Lena said eventually, staring at the dark screen of the TV on the opposite wall.

“Don’t give her any ideas.” Emily quickly interjected, already recognizing the glint in Fareeha’s eyes. “You know we’d never get a permit for that.”

“A girl can dream.” the brunette sighed, tucking her knees under herself and leaning into Fareeha.

They spend the rest of their evening like this; curled up into each other, silence briefly interrupted by quiet murmurs, fleeting glances and soft touches. Eventually Fareeha became aware of the soft snores coming from her lap where Emily had ended up, obviously lulled to sleep by the soft scratches the Egyptian administered to her scalp. Lena noticed it, too, and after sharing a brief glance the brunette slowly stood up while Fareeha gently shook Emily awake.

“whatimeissit?” the redhead mumbled blearily before letting out a huge yawn.

“Bedtime.” Fareeha simply replied, and had to chuckle when Emily simply refusesd to move with a murmur of “malreadyasleep”

“Well I’m getting up now, with or without you in my lap.”

That seemed to do the trick and the redhead slowly righted herself, grumbling about being bullied while rubbing her eyes.

They went through their nighttime routines in their half-asleep (and slightly more than half-asleep) states and quickly found themselves in their bedroom upstairs; and even here none of Fareeha’s worrying proved to be founded in reality.

Seemingly without consciously thinking about it they resumed their routine that had been so rudely interrupted over eighteen months ago, Fareeha spooning Lena while Emily slept a bit off to the side; she tended to toss and turn a lot in her sleep.

Soon all their goodnights were exchanged and the lights turned off, and quietness settled over them. Emily was out cold as soon as she’d closed her eyes and even Lena, who usually took longer to fall asleep, did so very quickly.

Only Fareeha remained wide awake, despite her tiredness; and no matter what she tried, sleep refused to come. After a while she gave up for the time being, carefully extracting her arm from Lena’s hold, and threw on a pair of sweatpants and a fleece vest. Then she rummaged through her carry-on, thankfully still where she’d deposited it earlier at the top of the stairs, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes neatly tucked away deep down.

She lit one as soon as she’d stepped out onto the balcony, belatedly realizing she hadn’t brought anything with her that could be used as an ashtray.

 _‘Too late now’_ she thought and took a deep drag, clearing the railing of fallen snow before leaning on it with her elbows. She stood there for a while, watching the snowflakes tumble to the ground while her thoughts whirled around in her head. She’d just finished a second cigarette and flicked the bud into the night when she heard the door open behind her. She didn’t need to turn around to see who had joined her; the soft blue glow reflected in the metal railing gave it away.

“Can’t sleep?” Lena asked, clad in a thick robe, awkwardly closed around her accelerator harness.

So she still felt uncomfortable going outdoors without actually wearing it. Fareeha filed that observation away for later and tried to get her swirling thoughts into order. She failed miserably and, if only to distract from her inner turmoil, fished a third cigarette out of the pack and lit it.

“Em won’t like that you’ve started again.” Lena wryly observed.

A sardonic laugh escaped Fareeha’s lips, followed by a quick cough when the smoke was forced out of her lungs.

“If that’s the only thing she won’t like I’ll call it a win.”

She turned around again, elbows on the railing, smoking her cigarette while staring into nothingness. Lena, for her part, waited patiently until the smoke was finished, and Fareeha had nothing left to occupy herself with.

“It’s too quiet.” she eventually said. “There’s no trucks running past my window all night, there’s no distant shouting, there’s no noise from the card game two rooms over…”

She trailed off, quiet for a moment, before speaking up again.

“I just feel like…like something is _missing_ , you know? And I seriously don’t understand why, because now I’ve got you and Emmy again, what could I possibly be missing?”

Fareeha shook her head with a mirthless smile. “I just… I don’t… “

She tried several times, but her thoughts flat-out refused to be vocalized. Lena seemed to sense her turmoil and closed the distance between them, trapping her in a hug that was awkwardly from the side, uncomfortably pressed the accelerator into her chest; and yet… and yet it filled her with a feeling of safety and comfort and love so intense she couldn’t hold in her tears any longer.

She’d never thought it possible to actually _experience_ catharsis, had always thought it such an abstract concept, but here she was, feeling her tears transform into ones of joy; and when they disengaged she did so with a genuine smile on her face.

Neither of them spoke, for they both _understood_ ; and then Lena rose to the tips of her toes to catch her lips in a kiss, slow and chaste and full of reassurances, telling her more than words ever could: ‘You’re home.’

It was then that a violent shiver travelled through Fareeha’s body and they broke apart, laughing breathlessly and wordlessly returning back inside. They got rid of their extra layers, Lena depositing the accelerator back into its cradle, and crawled into bed; only this time the brunette gently shoved Fareeha into the middle of the bed and embraced her from behind, and she’d have to lie if she said she couldn’t get used to this. She was about to finally fall asleep when Emily turned in her sleep and, as if on purpose, her pale hand found its way into Fareeha’s.

And so Fareeha did fall asleep, in a cocoon of warmth and affection. Finally, _home._

**Author's Note:**

> boy this thing aged me 5 years. Protip: if you haven’t written anything for over half a year, don’t start again with a ship you’ve never even seen before, which is poly (which I have literally 0 experience with, even in reading); and fluff on top when your usual thing is soul-crushing angst.


End file.
